Nova Scotia tourism officials may be none too pleased with Charlie Zone in that it doesn’t portray Halifax and environs as a quaint and scenic visitor-friendly maritime locale.

Rather, the film offers a us seedier (and possibly more realistic) side of the province and its capital, a place with a decidedly seamy underbelly, where dealers can run a “shooting gallery” — with drugs conveniently dispensed and consumed — in plain sight and outlaw bikers menace at will.

Charlie Zone brings film noir to the East Coast in a dark, sinuous tale rife with violence, double-crosses and vile family secrets.

It’s anchored by a powerful lead performance by Glen Gould, who plays Avery, a Mi’kmaq ex-con living on the margins of life in a halfway house and earning a little extra cash bare-knuckle brawling for a video-on-demand website.

“Oh, grandson,” his grandfather laments as he watches the one-time contender reduced to back-alley brawler.

Gould, who cusses with conviction, brings an authenticity to the role, his simmering rage evoked through a stern demeanour and pitbull-like physicality.

When he drags himself to his feet after what appears to be knockout in the bloody opening fight scene and snarls, “Ready to fight now?” it’s clear his opponent’s presumed victory is premature and short-lived.

Amanda Crew also does a fine job tackling the other principal role, that of Jan, a young junkie held virtual prisoner by her drug-lord boyfriend, whom Avery is hired to snatch, ostensibly at the behest of her family. Jan is also dodging a crew of Montreal bikers who are in town and looking for payback.

The relationship between the pair is the core of the film and its best scenes are the interplay between the two. He sees her as his big score and nothing more — he mercenarily up his demands when things go badly awry — while she contemptuously derides him as “Chief Red Bull.”

Director Michael Melski deserves credit for the uncompromising grittiness throughout. A scene in which Avery is tortured by the bikers is very tough to watch, but boy, is there a vicarious thrill when he turns the tables on his tormentors.

But, as promising as the film’s first half is, Melski and co-screenwriter Joseph LeClair could have used a script doctor to address some of the plot inconsistencies and an ending — particularly the climax — that feels melodramatic and unsatisfying.

That said, Charlie Zone, with its dark vision, intricate plot and noir-ish style, suggests Melski is a Canadian filmmaker to watch.

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